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How to Start an Aerial Photography Business

We want to show you how to start an aerial photography business. Aerial photography has always been a good way to make a big profit.

I remember when an aerial photographer came to my dad’s house…he had a couple large framed pictures of his home and property from the air…the uniqueness of the photos made it an easy sell.

how to start an aerial photography business

Realtors especially love to have aerial photos taken of the properties they’re trying to sell, but many others do too. Landscapers, surveyors, tour guides and countless more will pay good money for this work. This is why aerial drone photography has suddenly grown in popularity and there are plenty of online businesses that offer this service. Drones are rather expensive to buy. Therefore, companies like DFW Photographers are able to create a business taking drone photos and videos due to the fact that most of their customers will not be able to afford to take them themselves. However, if you had looked into learning how to start an aerial photography business five years ago, you would’ve been in for a bit of bad news: no plane, no way. Now, though, thanks to drones, you can start an aerial photography business without being a pilot. Below we discuss the 4 steps to starting an aerial drone video or photography business.

How to Start an Aerial Photography Business Step 1: Get Licensed

Although you don’t need to fly a plane, you still need a license if you want to learn how to start an aerial photography business. Speak to your government’s business wing about this, as it will differ state by state. You’re going to pay a fairly good price for the right to fly your drone and use it to take pictures, but you should be able to cover that in profits fairly easily.

How to Start an Aerial Photography Business Step 2: Pick out a Drone

There are more drones on the market than ever before. Obviously, you want one that can take pictures, so start there. However, it’s important that these are high-quality photos or no one is going to want to pay you. Lastly, if you’re new to flying them, get one that is extremely user-friendly. Later on, you can splurge for a more technical craft.

How to Start an Aerial Photography Business Step 3: Practice

Even the most user-friendly of drones take time to get used to. Learning how to start an aerial photography business will mean plenty of practice. It’s not just about taking a good picture; it’s about being able to do it proficiently. If it takes you all day to get the right show, you’ll be cutting into your hourly wage. Furthermore, a lot of times, your customers will be there watching you. Looking professional in front of them is vital.

How to Start an Aerial Photography Business Step 4: Market Yourself

Get a website up and load it with all kinds of pictures you’ve taken with your drone. At first, you can take them while you practice, but later on, you can use pictures you’ve taken for customers. To start a website click here.

Reach out to local businesses like wedding planners, realtors and all the others we mentioned above to let them know you can help them capture amazing images.

Learning how to start an aerial photography business isn’t very difficult, as you can see. Aside from some startup costs, there’s very little standing between you and your profits too.